Promoting AirPods

Considering the cost of even Apple’s most affordable AirPods, we’re pretty sure this is a secondary factor, but it’s undoubtedly on Apple’s mind that if it doesn’t include EarPods in the box, then iPhone buyers will be more likely to pick up a set of AirPods instead, or for that matter even Beats headphones.

However, even if users choose to go with another brand of headphones, Apple still wins by saving the costs and environmental impact of not including EarPods in the box that the vast majority of iPhone users probably never even unpack.